1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to oral care devices. More particularly the invention relates to a dental device configured to employ one or a combination of ultraviolet (UV) light radiation sanitation and/or sound frequency sanitation as a means for sanitizing a dental accessory housed within a housing portion of the dental device. Alternatively, the device may be provided with a brush component and the removably engageable sanitizing housing. The housing is configured with an interior cavity having UV illumination means contained within.
2. Description of the Related Art
Toothbrushes are well known oral care devices which are recommended by dentists and oral care professional worldwide. Proper oral hygiene has been shown to dramatically reduce the occurrence of dental cavities, gingivitis, and bad breath. However, it is conventionally known through current medical research, that without proper sanitation and/or sterilization of at least the bristles of a toothbrush after use, they will contain bacteria, germs, viruses, and dirt which can contribute to the spread of disease and sickness.
As a conventional solution, many health care professionals recommend placing the toothbrush in a case or housing when not in use to reduce the chance of bacteria and germs from reaching the bristles. However, one shortfall of this approach is that the housing itself may harbor bacteria if not cleaned or sanitized properly as well. Further, wet toothbrush bristles housed in a contained area, sometimes in the dark, are a perfect breeding ground for bacteria and pathogens already present on the brush. Therefore, in order to prevent increased propagation of such pathogens while in the housing, and to actually reduce the population in the brush head, there is a need for communicating some direct sanitation and sterilization to the toothbrush itself.
Prior art has shown many other attempts to provide toothbrush sanitation and/or sterilization means through the employment of UV light irradiation. Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) is a known disinfection method which employs ultraviolet (UV) light at sufficiently short wavelength to kill microorganisms such as bacteria and germs. Although UVGI methods are especially preferred for sterilization means, without proper irradiation of substantially the entire surface of the majority of bristles and the brush head, colonies of bacteria and other pathogens remain which can re-propagate. Additionally, because light is directional and subject to a blockage which creates shadows, without irradiation from a majority of angles some pathogens will not be properly subjected to light sanitation. Consequently, a secondary means of sanitation of the bristles and brush head which will reach around the curves and serpentine paths of brush bristles which harbor such pathogens and either remove them or seriously reduce their population. Further, conventional toothbrushes are generally configured to be held between the thumb and fingers affording a very small area to grip or frictionally engage the handle and resulting slippage.
As a result, there is a continuing unmet need for a toothbrush sanitation device which solves these and other problems of brush sanitizers of the current state of the art. Such a device should provide a compact, storable, transportable and easy-to-use apparatus which provides illumination which strikes the brush and bristles at a maximum number of angles to provide maximum sanitizing. Such a brush optionally should provide a secondary means for sanitization which is not subject to direct line contact and which will wrap around bristles and pathways therebetween to rid or at least reduce pathogen populations. Such a toothbrush should provide for enhanced gripping by employing the housing as an enlarged grip for the handle.
The forgoing examples of related art and limitation related therewith are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive and they do not imply any limitations on the invention described and claimed herein. Various limitations of the related art will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading and understanding of the specification below and the accompanying drawings.